Ann Marie Schott Announces Her Departure
After three plus years of service, Ann Marie Schott has announced that this
semester will be her last as the All Saints' Youth Director. As you may
know, Ann Marie is enrolled in a graduate program in English at Ole Miss.
Her decision to leave All Saints’ is motivated, in large part, by the ever
increasing academic and professional demands imposed upon her by that
program. She made her decision known to the youth group at its April 25th
meeting.
Ann Marie joined the All Saints’ staff at a time when the parish was without
permanent clergy, in the midst of a major construction project and without
an adequate Sunday gathering/meeting place for our youth. Moreover, our EYC
youth were in dire need of someone who would not just make the commitment of
time and effort but who could approach our young people's needs with
heightened sensitivity, empathy and understanding. She met all of these
challenges, and more, head on and provided a sense of stability and
continuity to our youth program during a time of exceptional transitional
challenge. Ann Marie has accomplished many things during her tenure
including continuing the long-standing tradition of All Saints’ EYC’ers
being intimately involved in Diocesan Youth events, programs and activities.
For these and many other reasons, Ann Marie has been a blessing to our youth
and community.
All Saints’ has also fed Ann Marie in several ways. In her note informing me
of her decision to leave, Ann Marie wrote that "I want to stress that my
time at All Saints' has been a blessing in my life. Since the time I left my
parents' church in Jackson, I'd never felt at home in a parish until my time
at All Saints' began. This is my church family. The young people of this
parish are wonderfully faithful, intelligent, and inspiring, and I have
loved getting to know their families and watching them turn into young
adults." Thank you for making Ann Marie feel welcomed and for nurturing her.
Ann Marie and I are coordinating the exact date of her departure and related
details (Ann Marie is planning to lead a summer youth trip before she
departs). As those details are worked out we will communicate them to the
parish. We are also making plans to formally thank Ann Marie for her work at
All Saints’; you will hear more about those plans soon. In the interim, I
hope you will join me in thanking her for her commitment to our youth and to
All Saints'. Her email address is
annmarie@allsaintstupelo.org .
Conversations have already begun among parish leaders about the direction
our youth program will take following Ann Marie’s departure. I intend to
seek input from various individuals and constituent groups (including our
youth) before beginning the hiring process. Of course, if you now know
individuals you believe are well suited to working with our youth in a
leadership role, please pass those names to me.
I thank you for your continued support of All Saints’ and its youth.
Paul +
